Wear assembly for earth working equipment

ABSTRACT

A wear cap for protecting the wearable surface of a base includes an outer wear surface, a front wall, a rear wall, two side surfaces, an inner mounting surface, and a plurality of cleats. A base includes a plurality of grooves that mate with the plurality of cleats. The cleats and grooves can be vertically and axially spaced on opposite sides of one another. The cleats and grooves can be V-shaped.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/395,216 filed Aug. 4, 2022 entitled “WEAR ASSEMBLY FOR EARTH WORKING EQUIPMENT,” which is incorporated by reference in its entirety herein and made a part hereof.

FIELD OF DISCLOSURE

This disclosure is directed to a wear assembly for earth working equipment.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

It is a common practice to secure wear members (e.g., teeth and shrouds) along the digging edge of a bucket or other equipment. As can be appreciated, the wear members are often placed in harsh working conditions where they are subjected to heavy loading and abrasive environments. To mitigate damage and/or wear to a base, as well as perform other functions (e.g., easing penetration, gathering material, etc.), replaceable wear members are commonly provided. Such wear members may be composed of multiple parts including, for example, adapters, points, intermediate adapters wear caps, shrouds, etc.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

The disclosure relates to the securing of wear members to earth working equipment. More particularly, this disclosure relates to a wear cap that secures to a base to protect the wearable surface of a base subjected to wearing such as may be experienced during an earth working operation.

In an example, a wear cap for mounting to a base includes two laterally spaced cleats adjacent a rearward end and adjacent a forward end each with a forward to rearward extension for receipt within grooves in the base. The two rearward cleats are displaced from the two forward cleats such that the extension of the rearward cleats is non-aligned with the extension of the forward cleats.

In another example, a wear cap for mounting to a base includes cleats for receipt within grooves with the base. Each of the cleats being V-shaped with surfaces converging in a lateral direction.

In a further example, a wear cap for mounting to a base includes an outer wear surface, an inner surface to oppose the base, and a concave curved front wall extending at least partially between the outer and inner surfaces.

In another example, a base includes a plurality of forward and rearward grooves each having a forward to rearward extension for receiving mounting portions of a wear cap. The rearward grooves are spaced rearward of the forward grooves, and non-aligned with the extension of the forward grooves.

In another example, an adapter includes a pair of legs spaced apart to define a slot with a longitudinal axis for receiving a digging edge, a front nose to mount a wear member, and a medial portion connecting the nose and legs having a first set of grooves proximate the nose and a second set of grooves proximate one of the legs for receiving mounting portions of a wear cap, wherein the second set of grooves is spaced farther from the longitudinal axis of the slot than the first set of grooves.

In another example, a wear member includes a front working end and a rear mounting end, the rear mounting end including a rearward surface. At least a portion of the rearward surface including a convex curved surface.

In another example, a wear assembly includes a wear cap and an adapter. The adapter having forwardly-projecting nose for mounting a wear member and a plurality of grooves each with a forward to rearward extension, wherein one pair of the grooves is spaced rearward and offset perpendicular to the extension from one another pair of grooves. The wear cap having cleats to be received in the grooves to hold the wear cap to the base.

In another example, a wear assembly includes a base and a wear cap. The wear cap including two laterally spaced cleats adjacent a rearward end and adjacent a forward end to retain the wear cap to the base. Each of the cleats has a forward to rearward extension. The extension of the two rearward cleats is non-aligned with the forward cleats. Optionally, the rearward cleats may be offset in a depth direction relative to the forward cleats. Optionally, the rearward cleats may be offset in a width direction relative to the forward cleats.

In a further example, a wear assembly includes a base and a wear cap including two laterally spaced cleats at a rearward end and at a forward end. Each of the cleats being V-shaped and used in retaining the wear cap to the base.

In one example, a wear assembly includes a wear cap and a wear member each secured to a base. The wear cap has a front wall and a wear member has a rear surface opposed to the front wall, wherein the front wall and the rear surface have complementary curvatures generally about a transverse axis (or axes) along at least a portion of each of their extensions.

These and other aspects will be apparent from the following specific description, given by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a side view of a tooth having wear members in accordance with the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is an exploded, partial perspective view of the tooth of FIG. 1 .

FIG. 3 is a front view of an adapter of the tooth of FIG. 1 .

FIG. 4 is a side view of a second tooth having an adapter with an inclined nose angle.

FIG. 5 is a top view of a wear cap for the tooth of FIG. 1 .

FIG. 6 is a side view of the wear cap of FIG. 5 .

FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view taken along line 7-7 in FIG. 5 .

FIG. 8 is a front view of the wear cap of FIG. 5 .

FIG. 9A is a rear view of the wear cap of FIG. 5 .

FIG. 9B is a magnified view of the tooth of FIG. 1 with portions shown in phantom.

FIG. 10 is cross sectional view taken along line 10-10 in FIG. 5 .

FIG. 11 is a side view of a second wear cap according to the present disclosure.

FIG. 121A is a magnified view of the distance between the point and the wear cap of FIG. 1 .

FIG. 12B is a magnified view of the distance between the point and the wear cap of FIG. 4 .

FIG. 12C is a magnified view of the distance between a known point and a known wear cap.

FIG. 12D is a magnified view of the distance between a known point and a known wear cap with an adapter having an inclined nose angle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EXAMPLES

Wear caps are used to protect surfaces, which through use are subject to wear due to the environment in which they are used. While the wear caps are herein described as being secured to an adapter, they could be used to protect a wide array of wearable surfaces on all kinds of excavating equipment and on other earth working equipment (e.g., ore chutes, buckets, drums, dredge cutterheads, crushers, etc.) which are subject to wearing by the relative sliding movement or engagement of the ground or other material. As examples only, the base supporting the wear cap could be an adapter, an intermediate adapter, a point, a shroud, a runner, a digging edge (e.g., for a bucket, cutterhead, blade, etc.), a bucket, a chute, or other components or equipment. As can be appreciated, the same or similar concepts and/or structures described herein for the wear caps and the bases would be applicable to the other wear caps and bases designed for other wearable surfaces and/or environments.

In normal use, excavating teeth assume many different orientations. For purposes of explanation, the elements mentioned in this application are at times described in relative terms, such as up and down. These directions should be understood with respect to the orientation of the components as shown in FIGS. 1-2 , unless stated otherwise.

Wear caps have generally been provided with opposing rails which are received into grooves on opposite sides of a base to be protected (e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 4,335,532 or US 2020/0340216). While these types of connections are sufficient to hold the wear cap to the wearable surface, they at times place undesirable constraints on the design of the wear cap and/or the adapter. The use of these connections to secure the wear cap can require the use of more material than would otherwise be required to provide the base with a sufficient level of strength. Further, these connections can require the wear cap to be axially moved a considerable distance (up to 100% of its length) for installation and removal. Removal of a wear cap via a long sliding motion can be difficult when the connection between the wear cap and base may be, for example, tightly compacted with earthen material fines.

In the example of FIGS. 1-2 , a wear assembly or tooth 25 mounts onto a support structure of an earth working equipment. The tooth 25 includes a point 35, an adapter 28, a wear cap 10, and a lock 16. The wear cap has a length extending front to rear, a width extending side to side, and a depth extending inside to outside.

The point 35 is installed onto a nose 33 of the adapter 28 and locked into place with the lock 16. The wear cap 10 can help protect the adapter 28 to limit wear during use of the tooth 25. In the present example, the wear cap 10 is designed for attachment to a base in the form of an adapter 28 of an excavating tooth 25. The wear cap 10 is captured in place by the point 35 when the point 35 is mounted to the adaptor 28. The point 35 retentively prevents the wear cap 10 from being removed from the adapter 28. The wear cap 10 can be removed by first removing the point 35 from the adaptor 28. The wear cap 10 may be sized and shaped to replace the material removed from the adapter and streamlined for material flow (e.g. not designed to block material flow). The top surface of the wear cap 10 preferably continues with the curve(s) of a top surface of the point 35 as one continuous surface, e.g. matching surfaces of the top surface of the point 35. Alternatively, the wear cap could be secured to the base by a lock such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 9,222,243 or 10,612,214; other kinds of locks could also be used. With the use of a lock, sufficient spacing could be provided to permit removal of the wear cap without removing the point. For ease of discussion, the mounting of an adapter 28 to a lip 12 of a bucket is disclosed herein. While only a small portion of the lip 12 is shown in the drawings, the lip 12 may include a series of through-holes 24 for the mounting of other teeth and/or shrouds to the bucket or have other constructions with or without through-holes.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 , the adapter 28 includes a pair of bifurcated legs 30, 31 which are secured to the lip 12 of a bucket, and a nose 33 for mounting another wear member such as point 35 or an intermediate adapter (not shown). The mounting nose 33 includes a rear end 34 and a front end 37. The rear end 34 of the nose is connected to legs 30, 31 by a medial portion 28 a, and the front end 37 is free. A longitudinal axis A of point 35 is in the direction the point is moved on and off the nose. The legs 30, 31 may be welded to the lip or attached by mechanical means such as shown in the Figures. Alternatively, the lip may include integrally cast, forwardly projecting noses in lieu of adapters 28 for mounting points 35 or intermediate adapters (not shown). A wearable portion or retention portion 29 of medial portion 28 a is located directly rearward of nose 33, though other configurations are possible.

A retention portion 29 includes a medial face and a pair of side faces 39. The retention portion is illustrated as a convex configuration about a horizontal axis (i.e., an axis running generally front to back), but other configurations are possible. In this example, the medial face includes a central surface 38 and adjacent converging surfaces 36 but may be formed to have a generally convex curved configuration about the longitudinal direction. Side faces 39 are preferably planar but may have other shapes. The retention portion 29 of the adaptor 28 includes a plurality of retention features which in this example are open grooves 40, 41, 42, 43 extending inwardly from the side faces 39, in which cleats 60, 61, 62, 63 of the wear cap 10 are received for mounting the wear cap 10 to the adaptor 28. The retention features 40, 41, 42, 43 on the adapter are positioned to the outer side edges of medial surface 38 (i.e., at or proximate side faces 39) in order to decrease stress in this area of the adapter and increase the strength, stability, durability and/or longevity of the adapter. The locations of the retention features 40, 41, 42, 43 allows the adapter legs 30, 31 to maintain strength through a thinner profile to lengthen the useful life of the adapter 28. Further, the top of the adapter can be thinner in the area below the wear cap 10 when new to reduce the weight of the adapter. Using a reduced thickness also enables the wear cap 10 to be situated closer to the digging edge to minimize disruption of the flow of material into the bucket to improve digging performance and/or extend the life of the wear cap. A tooth with a more streamlined configuration also provides for better material penetration.

The plurality of open grooves 40, 41, 42, 43 are arranged such that there are two rear grooves 40, 41, and two forward grooves 42, 43. Each groove 40, 41, 42, 43 is preferably V-shaped and may include at least two converging inner surfaces 45, 47, a rear surface 46 and an end surface 49. The arrangement creates a triangular shape, though other shapes are possible. The forward grooves 42, 43 may be longer than the rear grooves 40, 41 to allow for the wear cap to be pried off if needs be, but other arrangements are possible. The surfaces 45, 46, 47 may have the same or different lengths. For example, surface 45 in the illustrated example is shorter than the surface 47 (FIG. 9 b ), but other configurations are possible. For example surfaces 45, 47 may have the same length. The rear grooves 40, 41 may be laterally aligned with each other, and forward grooves 42, 43 may be laterally aligned with one another. The rear grooves 40, 41 are preferably spatially vertically above or outward, and axially spaced rearward from, the forward grooves 42, 43 though other arrangements are possible. The inner surfaces 45, 47 may be inclined such that end surfaces 49 face away from one another. In other examples, end surfaces 49 may be angled to converge upward or downward with the respective opposite side end surface 49.

FIG. 4 discloses a second tooth 25′ that mounts onto a support structure or base 12 of an earth working equipment. The tooth 25′ includes a point 35, an adapter 28′, a wear cap 10, and a lock 16, wherein each component is substantially similar to the counterpart seen in FIG. 1 , with the exception of the adapter 28′. The adapter 28′ includes a pair of bifurcated legs 30′, 31′ which are secured to the lip 12 of a bucket, and a nose 33′ for mounting a wear member or point 35. The mounting nose 33′ is angled at an angle α (e.g. 6 degrees) downward from the longitudinal axis A of the tooth 25. The nose 33′ of the adapter 28′ is inclined towards the ground or downward to better aid in penetration of the tooth 25′ and fill of the bucket. Other inclinations are possible.

In the illustrated examples of FIGS. 5-10 , the wear cap 10 preferably has a generally rectangular shape with four peripheral walls, though other configurations could be used. In some examples, the wear cap 10 can be made from a material that is different from the material from the adapter 28 and/or the point 35 is made. As one example, the wear cap 10 can be made from a material that is harder than the material from which the adapter 28 is made, though this is not essential. The wear cap 10 could in one example be made from the same material as the point and/or adapter 28.

The wear cap 10 includes a plurality of retention elements which in this example are cleats 60, 61, 62, 63 located on opposite sides of the wear cap 10. The cleats 60, 61, 62, 63 may be disposed within the respective mounting grooves 40, 41, 42, 43 of the adapter 28 such that the wear cap 10 is mounted to the adapter 28. After the wear cap 10 is mounted to the adapter 28, the wear cap 10 is ultimately in a captured relationship between the adapter 28 and the point 35, such that the point 35 retentively limits the sliding motion of the cleats 60, 61, 62, 63 and prevents the wear cap 10 from being removed from the retention portion 29 of the adapter 28. The cleats 60, 61, 62, 63 are preferably V-shaped, in that they include two converging surfaces 70, 71, a stop surface 73, and an end surface 75. In some examples, the converging surfaces 70, 71 may meet and an end surface 75 may not be necessary. The arrangement creates a triangular shape, though other shapes are possible. The inwardly converging walls defining the V-shape enables a smaller groove than if the surfaces 70, 71 were inwardly diverging or parallel. The use of larger grooves can weaken the adapter and can result in a thicker and heavier adapter. Nevertheless, the cleats 60, 61, 62, 63 may be shaped in other configurations.

The cleats 60, 61, 62, 63 are arranged such that there are two rearward cleats 60, 61, and two forward cleats 62, 63. In the illustrated example, the cleats 60, 61 are located at the rear of the wear cap 10 for positioning respectively in the first and second mounting grooves 40, 41 of the adapter 28 such that one or more of the stop surfaces 73 engage the rear surfaces 46 (FIG. 9B). The cleats 62, 63, are positioned at the front end of the wear cap. In this example, the cleats are located to extend from the interior surface 55, 57 of the arms 51, 53 where the end surface 75 is just below a central portion 65 of the interior surface 13 located at the forward end of the wear cap 10 for mounting with grooves 42, 43, such that the stop surfaces 73 engage one or more of the rear surfaces 46. In one example, two of the cleats abut its respective rear surface 46. The converging surfaces 70, 71 of the cleats 60, 61, 62, 63 may engage the inner surfaces 45, 47 of the mounting grooves 40, 41, 42, 43. The cleats 60, 61, 62, 63 are preferably short, in that they are no more than 40% of the length of the wear cap 10, but other arrangements are possible. This aids in keeping the sliding removal a short distance to reduce the problems associated with fines compacting in the grooves so as to ease removal of the wear caps. The cleats 60, 61, 62, 63 are slid out of the grooves 40, 41, 42, 43 for removal. The rearward cleats 60, 61 may be laterally aligned with each other, and the forward grooves 62, 63 may be laterally aligned with one another. The rearward cleats 60, 61 may be spatially outward of (i.e., vertically above) and/or axially spaced rearward of the forward cleats 62, 63, but other arrangements are possible. The groove may become filled with earthen material during use making the removal in the reverse direction difficult. With cleats being vertically spaced, they are fit into grooves that do not leave portions of the grooves forward of the cleat open to be filled with earthen fines. In some examples, the back of the cleats stick out of the adapter grooves to avoid earthen material filling into the back of the cleat in the groove. The rearward cleats 60, 61 extend from the side surfaces 22, 24 and are located below the rear wall 20. This arrangement enables the adapter to be thinner while providing sufficient material over the rearward cleats 60, 61 to secure the wear cap, and to permit the wear cap wear surface to generally align with the adapter outer surface for a more streamlined configuration for better filling of the bucket and/or penetration of the ground. This configuration can allow the adapter to be more lightweight and/or less costly to manufacture. In the illustrated example, surfaces 31, 32 connect the rear wall 20 to cleats 60, 61 respectively. In the illustrated example, the inner surfaces 70, 71 of the cleats 60, 61, 62, 63 are inclined, such that the end surfaces 75 face one another, though other configurations are possible (e.g. inclined upward or straight). The inner surfaces 70,71 may be the same length, but other configurations are possible.

The wear cap 10 includes an outer or wear surface 14, an inner or mounting surface 13, a front wall 18, a rear wall 20, and a pair of side walls 22, 24. The wear surface 14 and inner surface 13 are generally positioned laterally between the side walls 22, 24 and longitudinally between the front wall 18 and the rear wall 20. The wear surface is illustrated as two converging surfaces 15, 17 that meet at generally the center of the wear cap 10, but other configurations are possible (e.g., a convex surface). In the illustrated example, the front wall 18 and pair of side walls 22, 24 include two extensions 51, 53 projected generally downward and/or outward from the wear surface 14. The arms 51, 53 each include an inner surface 55, 57 and a rear wall 58, 59. The arms 51, 53 and the front wall 18 may extend about a third of the length of the point rear surface. The front wall 18 is preferably curved and coaxial with an upper portion 27 of a rearward surface of the point 35 about the entire width and thickness of the front wall 18, though other configurations are possible. The curves of the surfaces 18, 27 may be convex, concave, logarithmic, spline, etc. The illustrated example, surfaces 18, 27 curve about a lateral axis toward a front of the point 25 (e.g. forwardly).

In another example shown in FIG. 11 , a second wear cap 110 is illustrated. The second wear cap 110 is substantially similar to the wear cap 10, with the exception that the front wall 118 is a complex curve with only a portion of the front wall 118 being coaxial with the upper portion 27 of a rearward surface of the point 35. In the illustrated example, the front wall 118 includes a coaxial portion 119, a ramp surface 121, a curved portion 123, and a flat surface 126. The coaxial portion 119 is adjacent the top wear surface 114 and when in a rearward position maintains a distance D as will be further discussed below. The ramp surface 121 is an optional transition or blend that inclines rearward from the coaxial surface to the curved surface 123, though other configurations are possible. For example, a ramp surface 121 may not exist with the coaxial surface 119 being adjacent the curved surface 123. The curved surface 123 may have a smaller radius than the coaxial portion 119. This would make the flat surface 126 of the arms 151, 153 engage the upper portion 27 of the point 35 when the wear cap shifts forward, and leave a gap along the coaxial portion 119 (i.e., with the rear wall of the point) such as may occur in reverse loading. The initially stopping at the flat surface 126 limits movement of the wear cap 110 faster than if the coaxial surface 119 was coaxial about the entire front wall 118. This would aid in preventing the wear cap 110 from rotating farther out of its preferred rearward position. The flat surface 126 is adjacent and inward of the curved surface 123. In another example, the surfaces 121, 123, and 126 may alternatively be a single rearward chamfer surface to the bottom of the wear cap 110, so as not to engage the point 35 at any time during use. Other configurations of surfaces inward of the coaxial portion are possible.

Referring to FIGS. 12A and 12B, a magnified portion of teeth 25, 25′ is shown. The wear cap 10 is preferably loosely fit behind the point 35 (front to back) such that a gap exists between the two components defining a distance D to reduce stress in the wear cap, adapter and/or point during use. Although the distance D is referenced at one location in the drawings, it is intended to refer generally to the entire gap between the wear cap 10 and the point 35. The wear cap 10 may move forward to close this distance D, but with the direction of material flow and earthen material filling the gap, the wear cap 10 is typically in a rearward position off the point 35. Alternatively, the gap may be eliminated along all or part of the front of the wear cap.

Portions of the curve of the surfaces 18, 27 are illustrated as coaxial with the wear cap having a concave curved surface 18 and the point 35 having a convex curved surface 27 (or alternatively vice versa). The entire upper portions of surfaces 18, 27 could be defined by coaxial curves. When alternate adapters are created with different nose angles (e.g., angle α shown in FIG. 4 ), then the retention portion 29 of the adapter 28 may be altered in the design as well; e.g., they may be offset by generally an angle α to adjust the wear cap downward, but other configurations are possible. The coaxial curvatures and/or this readjustment of the retention portion aid in controlling the distance D of the gap. If there are no coaxial curves and/or adjustment of the retention portion 29 of the adapter 28, then a larger gap will open when the nose is oriented at a greater angle, which can increase the risk of earthen fines entering the tooth system. In FIG. 12B, the nose and the retention portion 28 are oriented at a different angle α, the distance D′ shown in FIG. 12B between the point 35 and the wear cap 10 remains generally constant and equal (e.g., within a 38% deviation, for example 9-20 mm) to distance D shown in FIG. 12A when the wear cap 10 is the rearwardly positioned. The curvature of surfaces 18, 27 along with the rotation of the retention portion 28 in the adapter allows for the distance D, D′ to be generally constant at various angles of the nose. This unlike the previous systems, as shown in FIGS. 12C and 12D.

Traditionally, as shown in FIG. 12C, the surfaces 18″, 27″ are generally planar or broadly curved when the nose is parallel with a longitudinal axis A (for example, as shown in FIG. 1 ). A top of the rear surface 27″ may curve about a lateral axis rearwardly toward the wear cap front wall 18″. FIG. 12D shows a known alternative tooth 25′″, that is essentially the same as tooth 25″ in FIG. 25C except that the nose and retention portion are at an inclined angle, e.g., angle α (for example, as shown in FIG. 4 ). The distance D″ and D′″ shown in FIGS. 12C-12D are not constant between the respective wear cap and point. The surfaces 18′″, 27′″ create a distance D′″ that is closer near the top and wider near the bottom (e.g., triangular). In another example, if the retention portion was not adjusted for a tooth 25′″, then the gap would be wider near the top and closer at the bottom (e.g. opposite to what is illustrated). In certain environments, earthen material (e.g. fines) will typically compact in the gap making removal more difficult and/or creating increased internal wearing. The narrowness of distance D, D′ limits the flow of earthen material therein. The consistency of the distance D and D′ restricts the amount of earthen material into the tooth system during use so as to ease of removal of the wear cap and/or reduce internal wearing of the tooth system. This also aids in tolerance stack up.

In other examples, multiple wear caps may protect the retention portion 29 of the adapter 28 or a larger area, such as disclosed in U.S. Pub. No. 20200256040. The systems, devices, and methods disclosed herein are examples of applications of the principles of this disclosure in practice, and a wide variety of other examples are possible. Therefore, the scope of this disclosure is not limited to the details of the wear assembly and method described herein and/or depicted in the drawings. Various other examples as well as many changes may be made without departing from the spirit and broader aspects of the disclosure as defined in the claims. Aspects of the disclosure have been described in terms of illustrative examples thereof. Numerous other examples, modifications, and variations within the scope and spirit of the appended claims will occur to persons of ordinary skill in the art from a review of this disclosure. The features in one example can be used with features of another example. The examples given and the combination of features disclosed are not intended to be limiting in the sense that they must be used together. 

1. A wear cap for mounting to a base for earth working equipment, the wear cap comprising a forward end, a rearward end, laterally spaced rearward cleats adjacent the rearward end, and laterally spaced forward cleats adjacent the forward end, wherein each of the rearward and forward cleats have a forward to rearward axial extension for receipt within grooves in the base, wherein the rearward cleats are offset from the forward cleats such that the axial extension of the rearward cleats are each axially non-aligned with the axial extension of the forward cleats.
 2. The wear cap of claim 1 wherein the wear cap has a length extending front to rear, a width extending side to side and a depth extending inside to outside, and the rearward cleats are offset in an inside to outside direction relative to the forward cleats with the rearward cleats being outside the forward cleats.
 3. The wear cap of claim 1 wherein each of the rearward and forward cleats has an inner cleat surface and an outer cleat surface that converge toward each other in a lateral direction extending toward the respective laterally opposed rearward or forward cleat.
 4. The wear cap of claim 1 including an outer wear surface, an inner surface to face the base, and a concave curved front wall curving at least partially between the outer wear surface and the inner surface.
 5. The wear cap of claim 1 including an outer wear surface and an inner surface to face the base, wherein the rearward cleats extend rearwardly beyond the outer wear surface.
 6. A wear cap for mounting to a base for earth working equipment, the wear cap comprising a forward end, a rearward end, laterally spaced rearward cleats at the rearward end and laterally spaced forward cleats at the forward end, wherein each of the forward and rearward cleats includes converging surfaces converging in a lateral direction toward the other forward or rearward cleat.
 7. The wear cap of claim 6 wherein the rearward cleats are offset in an inside to outside direction relative to the forward cleats with the rearward cleats being outside the forward cleats.
 8. A wear cap for mounting to a base for earth working equipment, the wear cap comprising an outer wear surface, an inner surface to face the base, a concave curved front wall curving at least partially between the outer and inner surfaces, a forward end, a rearward end, laterally spaced forward cleats adjacent the forward end, and laterally spaced rearward cleats adjacent the rearward end.
 9. The wear cap of claim 8 wherein the rearward cleats are offset in an inside to outside direction relative to the forward cleats with the rearward cleats being outside the forward cleats.
 10. The wear cap of claim 8 wherein each of the forward and rearward cleats includes converging surfaces converging in a lateral direction toward the other forward or rearward cleat.
 11. A base for earth working equipment, the base member comprising a forwardly projecting nose for supporting a wear member and a plurality of forward and rearward grooves rearward of the nose, each of the forward and rearward grooves having a forward to rearward extension for receiving mounting portions of a wear cap, wherein the rearward grooves are spaced rearward of the forward grooves and each have an axial extension that is axially non-aligned with an axial extension of either of the forward grooves.
 12. The base of claim 11 including a pair of legs spaced apart to define a slot for receiving a digging edge.
 13. An adapter for earth working equipment, the adapter comprising a pair of legs spaced apart to define a slot with a longitudinal axis for receiving a digging edge, a front nose to mount a wear member, a first set of grooves proximate the nose and a second set of grooves proximate one of the legs for receiving mounting portions of a wear cap, wherein the second set of grooves is spaced farther from the longitudinal axis of the slot than the first set of grooves.
 14. A wear assembly for earth working equipment, the wear assembly comprising: a base securable to a digging edge of the earth working equipment and including a plurality of grooves; and a wear cap including a forward end, a rearward end, laterally spaced rearward cleats adjacent the rearward end, and laterally spaced forward cleats adjacent the forward end, wherein each of the rearward and forward cleats have a forward to rearward axial extension for receipt within one of the grooves in the base, wherein the rearward cleats are offset from the forward cleats such that the axial extension of the rearward cleats are each axially non-aligned with the axial extension of the forward cleats.
 15. The wear assembly of claim 14 including a wear member mounted on the base, wherein the base includes a nose and the wear member includes a cavity for receiving the nose.
 16. The wear assembly of claim 14 wherein the rearward cleats are offset in an inside to outside direction relative to the forward cleats with the rearward cleats being outside the forward cleats.
 17. The wear cap of claim 14 wherein each of the rearward and forward cleats has an inner cleat surface and an outer cleat surface that converge toward each other in a lateral direction extending toward the respective laterally opposed rearward or forward cleat.
 18. A wear assembly for earth working equipment, the wear assembly comprising a wear cap and an adapter, the adapter having a forwardly-projecting nose for mounting a wear member and a plurality of grooves each with a forward to rearward axial extension, wherein one pair of the grooves is spaced rearward and offset perpendicular to the axial extension from one other pair of grooves, and the wear cap having cleats to be received in the grooves to hold the wear cap to the base.
 19. The wear assembly of claim 18 wherein the grooves and the cleats each include upper and lower surfaces that converge laterally inward.
 20. A wear assembly for earth working equipment comprising a base, a wear cap and a wear member, the wear cap and the wear member each being mounted on the base, the wear cap having a front wall and the wear member having a rear surface opposed to the front wall, wherein the front wall and the rear surface have complementary curvatures generally about a transverse axis along at least a portion of each of their extensions. 